Q . Malibu, Calif. — “Didn’t Abraham break Moses’ law, given in Lev. 18:11, when he took Sarah as his wife?” A. There was a definite law given to the Jews concerning the intermarriage of brothers and sisters. Abraham, how ever, lived centuries before the giving of the law. He was in the dispensa tion known as promise. Sarah was actually his half sister. It was per fectly permissable, under the revela tion of God at that time, for the union to take place. Q . Redlands, Calif. — “What happens at death? For instance, what happened to Annanias and Sapphira when they told a lie and died? Did they go di rectly to be with the Lord? Did Peter call Dorcas back out of heaven when she came back to life? Regarding those who died by not discerning the Lord’s body, did they go directly to be with the Lord?" A. When a believer is taken to heaven it is not a reward. Eternal life is based wholly upon the Lord Jesus Christ’s death for us. When Annanias and Sap phira died, they certainly did go im mediately into the Lord’s presence. This is true of any believer. No one in this life is sinlessly perfect. We believe that when Peter raised Dorcas from the dead, her soul came back to reinhabit her body. Those who did not “discern the Lord’s body” (they did not properly estimate or evaluate what took place at Calvary), experienced the same situation. They came with unconfessed, unforsaken sin. As a re sult, they went directly to be with the Lord since they were saved. Q . Denver, Colorado — “My pastor said that if a person has not paid his tithes, God will kill him. or bring punishment upon him. Is this true?” A. It may be an effective means of getting people to give, but it is cer tainly not Scriptural. The tithe was an Old Testament rule. If it was an im portant principle then, it should be only the starting point for a believer today. The Lord can certainly chastise 24
ing to the rules and regulations of the commandments. The Saviour was say ing that it is not following, as best one can, the Old Testament laws to find eternal life, but it is accepting the Lord Jesus Christ who is re vealed in the Scriptures. He is not minimizing the Bible in the least. He is telling these religious hypocrites that they are putting misplaced trust in words. They were doing that which the S c r ip tu r e s specifically spoke against and said should not be done. Q. Hollywood, Calif. — “In Jacob’s dream, given to us in Genesis 28:12, does any of this have reference to those who are asleep when the Lord comes?” A. Jacob was fleeing from the wrath of his brother Esau. He rested at Bethel. God indicated in this unique manner that He was going to keep him and go before to be his great pro tecting force and companion. There is no indication that this event has any reference to those who are asleep when the Lord comes. If you have never trusted Christ as your own per sonal Saviour, this is an important message. There is no other ladder or bridge to breach the chasm between earth with its sin, and heaven with its power to deliver except the Lord Jesus Christ.
Dr. i. Richard Chase, a graduate of Biola and a member of the faculty has been appointed Academic Vice President of Biola. His work will include the oversight of all five schools, Bible institute, Arizona Bible College, Biola College, School of Missionary Mediciho, and Talbot Theological Seminary.
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